Hey Reader!

Today is a good day. In fact, it's a very good day. Why? Because today I'm letting go of shame and embarrassment.

So this is what happened. Recently I went to a networking event - maybe I saw you there? I told everyone and their baby about my new, superfantastic newsletter called Newsletter Therapy. 🥳

I may, in fact, have bragged about how good I am at writing newsletters people love to read. And then I flashed my brand new QR code so they could all sign up, because who doesn't want advice about writing the world's best newsletter?

And then...

A few hours later a friend sent me a screenshot with the message, "Is this the thing I signed up for tonight?"

That screenshot was, well, a terrible sight. It was NOT what I wanted people to see when they got the ever-important "please confirm your subscription" message. It was some weird throwback to an experiment I'd made months before.

Damn. 🙈

Not only did those people not confirm their subscriptions, I figured they must think I'm some loud-mouthed dilettante. Did I not basically declare myself the queen of email only to make a rookie mistake and send out a piece of trash?

Well, in word, yes.

But you know what? Starting a new thing is hard. There are a lot of moving parts, and sometimes shit happens. Like you don't do a good enough job of testing before you go live. 😬

And people may judge you for it. But then people may judge you for wearing Crocs, or drinking Chardonnay, or not keeping your car clean.

And honestly, does it matter that you made a mistake? Will you remember it in five years? Will it mean the end of your business, or your friendship, or your inclusion in the In Crowd in whatever group you hold dear?

In general it will not.

And here at Newsletter Therapy we are all about giving ourselves grace, not giving in to negative self-talk, or imposter syndrome, or punishing ourselves for being human. 😱

So let's make the choice to move on from whatever we consider our failures. It's a new day every day.

xo, Julia

Each week I give you ideas for making your writing (and sending) life a little better. Here's what I've got for you this week.

The Simplifier

Let's make this less complicated, okay?

One question I sometimes get is, "How long does my damned email have to be?!" Although admittedly other people are generally less sweary than me. 😅

The answer: as long as you need get your point and your information across.

Sometimes a very long newsletter can be daunting to a reader. But if you're going deep on a subject that needs a lot of space, go for it.

Just don't add filler in order to make it longer; you want your reader to be engaged and interested all the way to the bottom. Once you've got it written, see if there are any extraneous phrases or sentences you can remove. ✂️

Less is often more - we're not writing 19th century Russian novels here. (With apologies to Mr. Tolstoy.)

Steal This

We're not reinventing the zipper.

In the old days, often a comedian would start a joke by saying something like, “My uncle is so broke…” Then the audience would yell back, “How broke is he?”

I want you to use this as a prompt when you’re writing your newsletter. Say you’re telling a story about a crazy trip to the zoo with your niece, and you’ve written, “By that time she was really hungry.”

HOW HUNGRY WAS SHE?

Instead of saying she was “really hungry” try something like this: “By that time she was so hungry she was eyeing those adorable birds like she could go for some penguin nuggets.” Or “By that time she was chewing on her own shoelaces; it was clearly way past time to get some food in her.”

Obviously it’s got to be in your voice, but try writing in your voice turned up to 11. 😁

You want your reader to really feel like she’s right there with you. You’re not just carting around a hungry toddler; you’re trying desperately to get some food into that kid before she goes ballistic. 🌪️

Check your copy for these types of phrases. I was tired, we were late, she was disappointed. Can you make it so vivid that the reader feels your utter exhaustion, desperation or grief?

The Growth Report

Every week I tell you what I'm doing to grow my mailing list, increase my open rate, and boost engagement.

Here's what I did this week:

I sent emails to a whole bunch of people I thought might be interested in my meta newsletter. Lots of them subscribed; including several people who will never write a newsletter. They just like hearing from me! 🙌🏻

Personal invitations are a terrific way to build your list. Create a template, personalize it where appropriate, and send it to people with whom you already have some sort of relationship.

Granted, it can feel a little weird. Like, do these people really want to read about my teapot repair business? Or are they signing up because they feel obligated?

Look. We're all adults. We don't have to do anything we don't want to do! And if you send an email with a link and the recipient does not want to hear about the fabulous new spout glue you've discovered, they do not have to subscribe. 🤷🏻

But some people are dying to learn the ins and outs of teapot repair. And some people just like to know what you're up to. So go ahead and ask. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

​Cheryl Crow has some experience with mistakes, and so does this email. Forward it to someone who wants to let go of perfectionism.

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